‘Jacks trump Aces as pitching stays strong

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BANGOR – The solid starting pitching continued Wednesday night and so did the wins as Lance Calmus and the Bangor bullpen led the Lumberjacks to their seventh Northeast League win in the last nine games.

Bangor’s offense got off to a quick start as Donnie Ross continued his mini-home run derby contest with teammate Derry Hammond and the pitching teamed with the defense to make the lead stick en route to a 4-1 victory over the Aces on a warm night at Winkin Complex.

Calmus, who was inserted into the rotation about three weeks ago, flirted with a no-hitter for 5 2/3 innings before departing after six with a two-hit, one-run effort in which he struck out two batters and walked none.

“I think I’ve become a little different kind of pitcher,” said the 6-foot-5 Oklahoman. “I’m still taking things one inning at a time, but I’m trying to get more movement on the ball instead of just letting it go.”

Calmus’ no-hit bid ended when Jutt Hileman’s soft liner bounced off Calmus and died on the third base line. Mike Davis followed with a triple deep into the right-center gap to score Hileman, but Bangor second baseman Rolando Bello lunged and snared a hot grounder to his left and threw to first in time to take a hit and RBI away from Alfred Corbeil.

“That play tonight he made at second was a huge momentum shift,” said Bangor manager Kash Beauchamp, whose team is 17-16. “He took a base hit away, and we cruised from there. That was the turning point of the game.”

Calmus also flirted with danger in the third, when he hit the first two batters and had runners at second and third with one out, but two straight flyouts ended the threat.

“My defense made some great plays behind me, and my two-seamer was working all right,” Calmus said. “I made a couple good pitches with guys on second and third to get out of it. Those might have been my two best pitches.”

Aces starting pitcher Luke Lambo’s night was a short one as Bangor touched him up for two runs in the first and two more in the second. After Jake Whitesides opened the game with a double down the left field line, Donnie Ross brought him home with a 350-foot, two-run blast to right. The second pair of runs came courtesy of two straight singles by Jose Garcia and Bello in the second. Garcia stole second and came home on Bello’s single, left fielder Greg Schmidt misplayed Bello’s shot, allowing him to get to second, and Paul Powell’s RBI double to the right-center gap sent Lambo to the showers.

GAME NOTES – An Aces player was ejected for the fourth time in the six games they’ve played against the Lumberjacks this season. Wednesday’s victim was Corbeil, who became the first of the Aces to get thrown out of a game at Winkin twice. He threw his helmet and argued the call after being called out at first base on an inning-ending groundout to Bello at second in the sixth.

LUMBERJACKS 4, ACES 1

Bangor (17-16) Aces (5-26)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Whitesides, cf 5 1 2 0 Smith, cf 4 0

Hargreaves, c 3 0 0 0 Hileman, rf 4 0

Ross, dh 2 1 1 2 Davis, dh 4 0 1

Hammond, lf 3 0 0 0 Corbeil, c 3 0 0

Burke, 1b 4 0 1 0 Doakes, lf 1 0 0

Garcia, rf 4 1 1 0 Valera, 1b-c 3 0 0

Bello, 2b 4 1 2 1 J.P.Schmidt, 3b 3 0 0

Powell, 3b 4 0 1 1 G. Schmidt,lf-1b 2 0

Uchino, ss 4 0 1 0 Garcia, ss 2 0 0

Quezada, 2b 3 0 0 0

Totals 33 4 9 4 Totals 29 1 2 1

Bangor 220 000 000 ? 4

Aces 000 001 000 ? 1

E?Corbeil, G. Schmidt; LOB?Bangor 6, Aces 3; 2B?Whitesides, Burke, Powell; 3B?Davis; HR?Ross (10); DP?Aces 1; S?Hargreaves; SB?Garcia, Bello, Uchino

Bangor IP H R ER BB SO

Calmus (W,3-2) 6 2 1 1 0 2

Huguet 2 0 0 0 0 1

Boker (S,1) 1 0 0 0 0 1

Aces IP H R ER BB SO

Lambo (L,0-3) 1 5 4 3 0 0

Neitz 4 1 0 0 2 2

Francis 4 3 0 0 1 1

HBP?Calmus 2; T?2:27; ATT?1,144